Method for producing a coil and electronic device

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for producing a coil integrated in a substrate or applied to a substrate, wherein the coil has first winding portions, which each have first ends and second ends, and wherein the coil has second winding portions and third winding portions, wherein each two of the first ends are electrically interconnected by the second winding portions and two corresponding second ends of the first winding portions are electrically interconnected by the third winding portions, such that coil windings of the coil are formed hereby, wherein at least the first winding portions are applied by means of a 3D printing method, wherein this is aerosol jet or inkjet printing, for example.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a divisional application of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/069,413 filed on Nov. 1, 2013 and entitled “Method for Producing a Coil and Electronic Device,” which is a national stage application of and claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2012 220022.3 filed on Nov. 2, 2012, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

DESCRIPTION

The invention relates to a method for producing a coil integrated in a substrate or applied to a substrate, in particular a method for producing an electronic printed circuit board, and also an electronic device comprising such an electronic printed circuit board.

Planar coils in which the coil windings are applied to the surface of a substrate are known per se from the prior art. Only a relatively low inductance can be achieved cost-efficiently with such planar coils, wherein the planar coils additionally take up a relatively large amount of space on the substrate surface.

Embedded Faltflex coils are known from www.elektroniknet.de, 26 Apr. 2012, “Embedding von aktiven und passive Bauteilen in die Leiterplatte” (“Embedding of active and passive components into the printed circuit board”). Here, flexible film structures are folded such that coils can be produced in any size with a practically arbitrary number of layers. This is particularly advantageous for sensor applications.

A coil structure for a printed circuit board arrangement is known from DE 43 06 416 A1. A winding of the coil is formed by metallized bores and conductive track portions. A ferrite core can be introduced laterally in a slit in the printed circuit board. Alternatively, the inner layers of the printed circuit board can be used directly as a support for imprinted core structures. A disadvantage with this coil structure is that on the one hand it is not suitable for miniaturization, and on the other hand large inductances cannot be achieved therewith.

An inductive sensor having a coil for generating a magnetic field is known from DE 103 54 694 A1. The coil is formed by two layers, between which a strip of an amorphous metal is located as a coil core. The coil windings are formed by conductive track portions arranged on the layers and by through-contactings, which run past on the coil core.

An inductive sensor which has a coil generating a magnetic field, the core of said coil being provided in an aperture in a circuit carrier, is known from DE 103 55 003 A1.

By contrast, the object of the present invention is to create an improved method for producing a coil integrated in a substrate or applied to a substrate, in particular for producing a printed circuit board, and also an electronic device comprising such a coil.

The objects forming the basis of the invention are each achieved by the features in the respective independent patent claims. Embodiments of the invention are specified in the dependent patent claims.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, at least the first winding portions are applied by means of a 3D printing method, in particular also the second winding portions and/or the third winding portions.

Here, a “3D printing method” is understood to mean any printing method which enables three-dimensional electrical line structures to be applied by means of printing, such as aerosol jet or inkjet printing methods. In the 3D printing method, electrically conductive inks, in particular an electrically conductive polymer, silver conductive past or the like, is used in order to apply the line structures by means of printing.

Embodiments of the invention are particularly advantageous since the use of a 3D printing method makes it possible to introduce miniaturized coils into a substrate or to apply such coils to a substrate, moreover at relatively low production costs and high throughput. In particular, the production of miniaturized coil arrays of high resolution and sensitivity is thus enabled, in particular for the production of sensors, such as inductive proximity sensors, or actuators.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, the following approach for production of a coil is adopted, for example:

-   -   1. A substrate is first provided. The substrate may be a printed         circuit board material, in particular fiber-reinforced plastic,         in particular a glass fiber mat saturated with epoxy resin, for         example what is known as an FR-4 material.     -   2. A cavity is produced in the substrate and for example is open         toward the front face of the substrate. The cavity can be         produced in the substrate by material-removing processing of the         substrate, for example by removing the material with the aid of         a laser or by a machining process, preferably by milling and         also by hot foil stamping. The cavity has a base area, which for         example runs parallel to the surface of the substrate, and also         lateral flanks, which connect the base area to the surface of         the substrate.     -   3. Once the cavity has been produced, the first and second         winding portions of the coil are introduced into the cavity. The         first winding portions run along the flanks of the cavity and         extend from the base area to the surface of the substrate. The         second winding portions run along the base area, where they each         contact two ends of the first winding portions. The following         approach for example can be adopted in order to introduce the         first and second winding portions:     -   a) The two winding portions are first formed on the base area,         for example more specifically by a conventional structuring         technique, in particular the application of a copper layer and         subsequent etching, or by a two-dimensional printing method,         such as screen printing. The first winding portions are then         applied to the flanks of the cavity by means of the 3D printing         method. Alternatively, the first winding portions may also be         applied, and then the second winding portions.     -   b) The first and second winding portions are applied to the base         area and the flanks of the cavity in one process step with the         aid of the 3D printing method.     -   4. The cavity is then filled with a core material, for example a         paste, which contains ferromagnetic particles. Here, a paste is         understood to mean a mixture of a particle and a liquid, for         example a solvent, for example a suspension. Due to the         introduced paste, a core material is formed in the cavity and         serves to produce a coil core. Alternatively, the core material         may also be introduced in the form of a solid into the cavity,         for example by being pressed in.     -   5. The third winding portions are applied to the surface of the         resultant coil core, more specifically for example by a         structuring technique, in particular etching, or by means of a         printing method, in particular a 2D printing method.

By contrast, in accordance with embodiments of the invention, the following approach for example is adopted in order to apply a coil to a substrate:

-   -   1. A substrate is first provided. The substrate may be a printed         circuit board material, in particular fiber-reinforced plastic,         in particular a glass fiber mat saturated with epoxy resin, for         example what is known as an FR-4 material.     -   2. The second winding portions are applied to the surface of the         substrate, for example by means of a structuring technique or a         two-dimensional printing method.     -   3. In the region of the second winding portions, core material         is then applied to the surface of the substrate, with the result         that the core material covers the second winding portions. The         core material can be applied similarly to the above-mentioned         step 4 by applying a paste, for example using a dispenser, or by         applying a solid.     -   4. The first and third winding portions of the coil are then         applied, wherein the first winding portions extend along the         lateral flanks of the coil core and the third winding portions         extend over the surface of the coil core. To this end, one of         the following embodiments specified hereinafter can be adopted         for example:     -   a) The first and third winding portions are applied in one         process step by means of a 3D printing method.     -   b) Only the first winding portions are applied by means of a 3D         printing method, whereas the third winding portions are applied         for example by means of a structuring method or two-dimensional         printing method.

Different coil geometries can be produced in this way, such as a cylindrical coil, of which the coil axis runs parallel to the surface of the substrate, or an annular or toroidal coil, which is oriented parallel to the surface of the substrate.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the coil core in the cavity is annular, toroidal, or disk-shaped, wherein the coil core may have a round or angular shape. Due to the selection of other geometries of the cavity and therefore of the coil core, the magnetic field to be generated by the coil can be optimized for the respective application.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the cavity has a base area parallel to the surface of the substrate. Lateral flanks run out from the base area and form the opening of the cavity. The lateral flanks preferably form a right angle or an acute angle with the surface of the substrate, for example an angle between 30 and 60°, preferably 45°.

Such an angle has the surprising advantage that air pockets are avoided when introducing the paste into the cavity, since the air can escape along the lateral flanks during the introduction process. This is particularly advantageous when the paste is pressed into the cavity, for example by means of screen printing, intaglio printing, pad printing, or with the aid of a dispenser.

It has surprisingly proven to be particularly advantageous when the paste is introduced by means of screen printing and the lateral flanks of the cavity enclose an angle of approximately 45° with the surface.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the particles consist of a soft magnetic amorphous and/or nanocrystalline alloy.

Here, particles which have a nanocrystalline structure are particularly advantageous, since this leads to a very high permeability with a small coercive force. Further advantages of such nanocrystalline materials are outstanding magnetic values, cost-effective alloy compositions, very good temperature stability, and very favorable frequency properties. The nanocrystalline particles can be composed from a soft magnetic metal alloy, for example based on Fe, Si and/or B with additions of Nb and/or Cu.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a plurality of the integrated coils are produced in the substrate in this way. These coils can be connected for example to a sensor array, for example in order to produce a highly sensitive inductive position sensor.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the second winding portions can be imprinted. The second winding portions can be imprinted for example by means of conductive inks: further circuit components, which may be formed by means of electrically conductive polymer, may likewise be imprinted on the substrate in order to connect this to the one or more coils.

In accordance with a further embodiment, the cavity is produced by a hot foil stamping technique.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, a “cavity” is understood to mean a recess from the substrate or an aperture through two or more substrates, arranged one above the other, of a multi-layer printed circuit board, that is to say what is known as a multi-layer PCB, wherein one of the substrates arranged one above the other forms the base area.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the coil core is first produced separately as a solid, and is then secured in the cavity, for example in a form-locked and/or force-locked manner, for example by being pressed into the cavity.

The coil cores can be produced for example by extrusion of a polymer/ferrite composite material. For example, endless profiles formed from the polymer/ferrite composite material are produced by the extrusion process, from which individual coil cores are obtained by separating portions of the extrusion profile.

Such an extrudate can be produced as a flexible band and can be applied by means of an adhesive to the substrate, more specifically in particular where a higher overall thickness can be tolerated. In this case, the coil core may thus also extend beyond the surface of the substrate, wherein mixed forms are also possible, for example the filling of the cavity in the substrate with a pasty or liquid material and then, once this has cured, the application of one or more material layers thereof or of another core material to the already filled cavity. Such an additional film could also be adhered to one side of a printed circuit board, in particular a multi-layer PCB, which is then in particular advantageous if the sensor is to be arranged on the end face.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the cross section of a cavity or of the coil core may have different geometric shapes, which may be symmetrical or asymmetrical. The shape of the cavity and therefore the shape of the coil core can be selected here such that the magnetic field obtains a geometry and strength optimized for the respective application.

Besides a rectangular shape, the coil core can be formed for example in a triangular, round or spherical manner. Such geometric shapes of the cavity can be produced for example by milling out material or by water jet cutting, and the filling of the cavity with the core material can be achieved for example by printing, in particular by inkjet printing.

Furthermore, it is also possible for the core material within the coil core to vary locally in order to achieve a desired shape of the magnetic field, wherein such a local variation of the material composition in the coil core can be achieved for example by imprinting different core materials in layers.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the cavity extends over a plurality of substrate layers in the vertical direction, wherein the vias, that is to say the through-contactings, can be produced for example by drilling, lasering, plasma-treating or water jet cutting. Combinations of such techniques are also possible, for example water jet cutting with laser guidance.

Embodiments of the invention allow the production of miniaturized coils with the aid of cost-effective structuring and production techniques capable of high-throughput, as are suitable for mass production.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the substrate contains glass fibers, which are present in the substrate along one or more preferred directions, for example in the form of a glass fiber matrix, or in an unordered manner; in particular, the substrate may be a glass-fiber-reinforced printed circuit board material.

In this case, glass fibers are severed due to the introduction of the cavity into the substrate, with the result that the cavity has an accordingly rough surface finish. To smooth the surface of the cavity, a material is introduced into the cavity before the introduction of the first and second winding portions, said material extending over the flanks and the base area of the cavity. For example, the cavity is completely filled with the material. The material may be a plastic, a resin or another insulator.

This material is then removed again in part from the cavity, for example by machining or by application of a laser jet. A layer of the material extending over the flanks and the base area remains in the cavity.

Since the material contains no glass fibers, it has an accordingly smooth surface, that is to say the roughness of the surface of this material layer is lower than the roughness of the flanks and the base area of the cavity. For example, the layer thickness of this material layer may be less than 30 μm, in particular between 10 μm and 20 μm.

The first and second winding portions are then applied to this material layer. Surprisingly, the resultant coil then has an improved coil quality.

This is explained by the fact that, when applying the first and second winding portions directly to the flanks or the base area by means of the 3D printing method, the imprinted winding portions have a reduced effective line cross section, which is caused by the roughness of the surface. This reduced effective line cross section leads to an increase of the ohmic resistance and therefore to a reduction of the coil quality.

In accordance with embodiments of the invention, this problem is remedied in that the flanks and the base area of the cavity are smoothed by application of the material layer, and in that the first and second winding portions are not applied directly to the flanks and the base area, but to the material layer extending over the flanks and the base area.

Embodiments of the invention will be explained in greater detail hereinafter with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section of an electronic printed circuit board according to the invention with an integrated coil,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the printed circuit board according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross section of an embodiment of a printed circuit board according to the invention with an applied coil,

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the printed circuit board according to FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a cavity with applied and first and second winding portions,

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged partial illustration of FIG. 5, which shows a portion of the base area and of a flank of the cavity,

FIGS. 7-13 show an embodiment of a method for producing an electronic printed circuit board with an integrated toroidal or annular coil,

FIG. 14 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a printed circuit board according to the invention with an integrated annular coil, and

FIG. 15 shows a plan view of an embodiment of a printed circuit board according to the invention with an integrated oval coil.

Corresponding or identical elements in the following exemplary embodiments are denoted in each case by the same reference signs.

FIG. 1 shows a substrate 100, which may be a printed circuit board material, for example with glass-fiber reinforcement. For integration of a coil 140 (see FIG. 2) into the substrate 100, a cavity 106 is first produced in the substrate 100, whereby a surface 102 of the substrate 100 is opened.

For example, the cavity 106 is produced in the substrate 100 by a machining process by milling the cavity 106 into the substrate 100. A base area 110 of the cavity 106, which for example runs parallel to the surface 102, is thus produced. Furthermore, lateral flanks 112 and 114 of the cavity 116, which each enclose an angle α with the surface 102, are further produced as a result. The angle α may be a right angle (as shown in FIG. 1) or an acute angle, in particular an angle of less than 50°, for example 45°.

In the next step, the first winding portions 136 are applied to the flanks 112 and 114, and the second winding portions 138 are applied to the base area 110 of the cavity 106.

This can be implemented in such a way that the first winding portions 136 and the second winding portions 138 are applied in a single process step by a 3D printing method, in particular by aerosol jet or inkjet printing. This can occur in the form of a conductive polymer.

The cavity 106 is then filled with a core material so as to form the coil core, for example is filled with a paste 116, which contains ferromagnetic particles. Once the paste 116 has cured, third winding portions 139 are applied to the upper face 148 of the coil core formed by the cured paste, for example by means of a structuring technique or a two-dimensional printing method.

The first winding portions 136 each have a lower first end 141 and an upper second end 147. Each two of the first ends 141 of two of the first winding portions 136 are electrically connected by one of the second winding portions 138, whereas two corresponding second ends 147 of two different first winding portions 136 are electrically contacted by the third winding portions 139, thus resulting in an approximately helical coil winding to form the coil 140.

The paste 116 can likewise be introduced into the cavity 106 by means of printing. A selection of the angle α of 45° is particularly advantageous when the paste 116 is introduced by means of screen printing, since the formation of air pockets in the paste 116 is then prevented in a particularly efficient manner. The paste 116 may further be acted on during the curing process with ultrasound or other vibrations in order to prevent slug formation as the paste 116 cures. Alternatively, the coil core can be formed by a solid instead of by the paste 116, said solid being introduced into the cavity 106.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the resultant printed circuit board 100 with the integrated coil 140.

FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment, in which the coil 140 is applied to the substrate 100. To this end, the second winding portions 138 are first applied to the substrate 100. The core material, for example in the form of the paste 116 or as a solid, is then applied to the second winding portions 138, wherein the core material covers the second winding portions 138, at least in part, for example as far as edge regions of the second winding portions 138, as shown in FIG. 3.

Once the coil core has been formed, that is to say for example once the paste 116 has cured, the first winding portions 136 are then applied to the flanks 112 and 114 of the resultant coil core, and the third winding portions 139 are applied to the upper face 148. The resultant printed circuit board 110 with the applied coil 100 is shown in FIG. 4 in a perspective view.

FIG. 5 shows an embodiment of the invention in which an oval annular coil is to be integrated into the substrate 100. To this end, an oval cavity 106 is milled into the substrate 100, wherein the substrate 100 is glass-fiber-reinforced. FIG. 5 shows an intermediate product with the integration of the coil 140 into the substrate 100, after which the first and second winding portions 136 and 138 respectively have been imprinted by means of a 3D printing method.

FIG. 6 shows a partial view of FIG. 5 enlarged by five times, wherein the rough surface of the cavity 106 and the resultant irregular structure of the first and second winding portions 136 and 138 respectively can be seen.

The rough surface of the cavity 106 is caused by glass fibers of the substrate 100, which are severed as the cavity 106 is milled. The resultant irregular structuring of the winding portions 136 and 138 leads to a reduction of the effective cross-sectional area thereof, and therefore to an increase in the ohmic resistance, which ultimately leads to a reduction of the coil quality of the coil 140 to be produced.

To remedy this problem, which may occur in the case of a substrate 100 having a glass fiber content, the following approach in accordance with the embodiment according to FIGS. 7 to 13 can be adopted:

The substrate 100 is first provided and is glass-fiber-reinforced, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The cavity 106 is then milled into the substrate 100, wherein glass fibers are severed during the milling process, thus leading to a high surface roughness of the resultant cavity 106 (FIG. 8).

The cavity 106 is then filled with a material 149. This material 149 may be a resin for example. This is illustrated in FIG. 9.

The material 149 is then removed from the cavity 106 apart from a layer 151, for example likewise by means of milling. The layer 151 of the material 149 remaining on the surface of the cavity 106 may have a thickness from 10 μm to 20 μm, for example (see FIG. 10).

In the subsequent method steps illustrated in FIGS. 11, 12 and 13, the actual coil 140 is then produced by first applying the first and second winding portions to the flanks 112 and 114 of the cavity 106 coated by the layer 151 and to the base area 110 coated by the layer 151 (FIG. 11). The core material for forming the coil core is then introduced into the cavity 106, for example by dispensing the paste 116 into the cavity 106 in order to fill the cavity 106 with the paste 116 (FIG. 12).

The third winding portions 139 are then applied to the coil core thus formed.

FIG. 14 shows a plan view of the surface 102 of the substrate 100 with the third winding portions 139 running in this plane, said third winding portions each electrically interconnecting two second ends 147 of the second winding portions 136, wherein the coil 140 is formed here as an annular coil.

The first and last winding portions 139 of the coil 140 are connected here via conductive tracks 142 and 144 to contact faces 143 and 145 respectively.

The diameter of the coil 140 may be less than 5 mm, for example 3.5 mm.

FIG. 15 shows a corresponding coil 140 in an oval embodiment corresponding to the embodiment according to FIGS. 5 to 13.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

-   -   100 substrate     -   102 surface     -   106 cavity     -   110 base area     -   112 flank     -   114 flank     -   116 paste     -   136 first winding portion     -   138 second winding portion     -   139 third winding portion     -   140 coil     -   141 first end     -   142 conductive track     -   143 contact face     -   144 conductive track     -   145 contact face     -   147 second end     -   148 upper side     -   149 material     -   151 layer 

The invention claimed is:
 1. An electronic device comprising at least one coil integrated in a substrate or applied to a substrate, the at least one coil including first winding portions, which each have first ends and second ends, the at least one coil having second winding portions, third winding portions, and a coil core, wherein each two of the first ends are electrically interconnected by the second winding portions and two corresponding second ends of the first winding portions are electrically interconnected by the third winding portions to form the at least one coil, the electronic device produced in accordance with a method comprising: printing, using a three-dimensional printing technique, the first winding portions and the second winding portions; and printing, using the three-dimensional printing technique, the third winding portions on the coil core to form the at least one coil having an axis that runs parallel to a surface of the substrate; and wherein the three-dimensional printing technique comprises at least one of aerosol jet printing and inkjet printing.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said device comprises at least one of a sensor and an actuator.
 3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, force sensor, acceleration sensor, and a magnetic field sensor.
 4. An electronic device comprising: an electronic printed circuit board including at least one coil integrated in or applied to the printed circuit board, the at least one coil including: a coil core; first winding portions, which each have first and second ends; second winding portions; and third winding portions; wherein each two of the first ends of the first winding portions are electrically interconnected by the second winding portions and wherein two corresponding second ends of the first winding portions are electrically interconnected by the third winding portions, with the result that coil windings of the at least one coil are formed hereby, the coil having an axis that runs parallel to a surface of a substrate; wherein the first winding portions and the second winding portions are applied by means of a three dimensional (3D) printing method; wherein the third winding portions are applied by means of the 3D printing method on the coil core; and wherein the 3D printing method includes at least one of aerosol jet printing and inkjet printing.
 5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein said device comprises at least one of a sensor and an actuator.
 6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor, force sensor, acceleration sensor, and a magnetic field sensor.
 7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the at least one coil encloses a magnetic core, said method further comprising: forming said magnetic core from a paste comprising ferromagnetic particles, wherein said forming further comprises curing said paste.
 8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein said curing further comprises applying ultrasound to said paste during said curing.
 9. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the at least one coil is configured to enclose a magnetic core, said magnetic core formed by curing a paste comprising ferromagnetic particles.
 10. The electronic device of claim 9, wherein said magnetic core is formed by applying ultrasound to said paste during said curing of said paste. 